Propelling and balancing mechanism for air-craft.



U. G. WHTE.

PROPELLING AND BALANCING MECHANISM FOR AIR CRAFT.

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u. 6. WHITE PROPELLING AND BALANCING MECHANISM FOR MR CRAFT. APPLICATIONVFILED MAR. 25. 19M.

1,1 34,790. Patented Apr. 6, 1915,

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PROPELUNG AND BALANCING MECHANISM FOR AIR CRAFT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25, 19M

' 1,134,790.. Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

u. G wrma. PROPELLING AND BALANCING MECHANISM FOR MR CRAFT. v

APFLJCATION FILED HA8. 25, 1214.

Patented Apr. 6, 1-915.

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T all whom it concern ll} or .a. rela w it. time is s FBQPELWG Am BALANCING MEG son em resented s e; is, isle,

Appliestioz: Fez EL-Essen as, less. Eerisl $350; so ,2

Be it known that l, Unrsss G. a

citizen of the United States, residing at Boulder, in the county oi. Jefierson azrd State of Montana, have invented new and useful Improvements in ropell1ng and Balancing Mechanism for Air-Graft, of which the. following is a specification. Y

This invention relates to air craft generally, and particularly to a propelling and balancing system therefor.

The object of the invention is to provide pro gelling mechanism which also serves as the means for balancing and maintheequilibrium of the craft.

i, object of the invention is 'to provide propelling mechanism in which the propellers are adjustable to difierent positions ior driving the craft ahead, launching and landing the craftv in a substantially direct vertical path, and maintaining both longitudinal and lateral stability.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a steering and balancing mechanism which is automatic in action and may be manually controlled for certain actions when desired.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a propellingand balancing mechanism by which the craft may be launched directl from the ground Without a running start, landed with ease and facility and at any given rate of descent, elilciently halonced at all times so as to secure steadiness and stability of flight, and also by means of WillCllZlIl automatic banking action of the right degree is obtained in making turns.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists of the features of. construction, combination and arrangement of parts herein fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompenying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation, partially in longitudinal section, oi an airship or flying machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional front elevation. Fig. l is a cross section through the gear casing of one of the propellers. verse section on line 55 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a detail section on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fl 's. 7 S. 9 and 10 are die ramrnatic views Referring to the drawings, 1 ddsignates Fig. 5 is a vertical transthe main frame. of the structure, which is providcdwiath one or more supporting Flattesor surfaces-.1", and may be with-any suitable typeeit launching and alighting gear (nots'laown). In giractice, ehalioonor aero stat,not' shown, may also he employed to-sustain a portion of the weight of the machine. The supporting plane or planes and aerostat may be employed independently or con-,- jointly, according to the character of aerial vessel it is desired to yroduce. The'craft may also lie-provided with any suitable type of-steering isechanism, such as vertical and horizontal rudders, withsuitahle, means for controlling. the same. I have not deemed it necessary to illustrate or describe any of these featn res in detail, as the present invention relates particularly to a novel and. improved. type of propelling and balancing mechanism which may be used in connection With aircraft generally.

Mounted on the main frame is a longitudinally extending shaft or axle 2, having lateral rocking motion on its ownaxis, and suitably jouroaled and supported upon said shaft 2 is a horizontal transverse shaft 3, the ends or which project beyond opposite sides of the shaft 2. The shaft 3 is thus mounted to rock in a fore-and-allt direction on its own axis independently of the she-it 2, and to rock in a lateral direction with said shaft 2. Supported by and desesding from the shaft 3 is a car or platform i, designed to support the aviators seat, passengers seats, if any, and other elements. of the load weight of the machine. with. its load, as a Weighted pendulum normally maintained by grevi in a perpendicular position. The descri ed connections. between toe main frame 1. and the car. 4 adopt these elements to have relative lateral and longitudinal motions on the shal ts'i-l and 3 as axes, in the tilting oi'the bodv of the craft out of a balanced position. or convenie cc of description and setting forth the novel relative motions of the parts, the main frame and elements carried thereby may be This car operates,

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direction or away from each other.

propeller is carried by a'shaft 9 journaled in a gear casing 10 carried by a sleeve 11 loosely mounted on the coacting transmission shaft. The shafts 9 carry beveled gears 12 driven bybeveled gears 13 on the transmission shafts,.and at their inner ends the respective sleeves are provided with spur gears 14. These shafts 5 and 6 a'redriven by belts or chains 15 and 16 from one or more motors 17 mounted upon the base portion of the gliding structure, and in turn said shafts 5 and 6 communicate motion to the propellers. The construction and arrangement of the gearing is such, preferably, that. the front propellers rotatein an inward direction or toward each other, while the rear propellers 8 rotate in an outw ii fld e gear casings 10 carry counterweights 10f to accurately balance the propellers. The respective propellers are adapted, through the rotation of the sleeves 11, to be adjusted each 1 through .an arc of about 180, and said propellers have a variety of relative adjusting motions for propelling and balancing actions, as hereinafter fully described. As shown, the gears 14 of the front propellers mesh with rack'segments 17 and the corresponding gears of the rear propellers with rack segments 18. The sets of rack segments are pivoted for vertical motion upon the main frame, and the front rack segments 17 have rearwardly extending arms 19 coupled by links 20 to crank arms 2.1 or the sections of a divided horizontal transverse rock shaft 22, which rock shaft sectionsare provided with crank arms 23 coupled by links 24 to a connecting head or cross bar 25 carried by the normally horizontal arm of a bell crank lever 26, fulcrumed upon the forward end of the 'shaft 2. The segments 18 meshing with'the gears 14 of the rear propellers are in like manner provided with arms 19' connected by links 20 with the crank arms 21 of rock shaft sections 22' having crank arms 23 connected by links 24' with the ends of a cross head or bar 25 carried by the normally horizontal arm of a bell crank lever 26 fulcrumed to the rear end of the shaft 2.

The connections between the gear segments 17 and 18 of the front and rear pairs of propellers are, therefore, the same in con-' 'struction and arrangement except that they unison and thevei'tical arms of the bellcrank levers are moved in the same direction.

As shown. the vertical arms of the bell crank levers 26 and 26', are pivotally connected to the front and rear ends of anactuating bar or rod composed of two sections 27 and 27', which sections of the divided bar or rod are pivotally coupled at their.

" the aviators; seat 29upon the car or platform f, so that both levers may be grasped and simultaneously moved in the same direction, or the lever section 28 grasped and moved to transmit motion in the opposite di-.

rection to the lever section 28.

The lever sections 28 and 28 are fulvcrumed at their upper ends for fore-andaft swinging motions upon a cross pin 30 extending transversely through and journaled' in the shaft 2, and said upper ends of the lever sections carry gear segments or racks 31 and 32 which have beveled'faces and mesh with a beveled intermediate gear 33 journaled loosely upon astud 3i carried by a yoke 35 fixed to the cross pin 30. Thesectionsof the divided lever are thus pivotally supported from the shaft 2, which is journaled upon the gliding structure, and are movable upon the gliding structure in a fore-and-aft direction with relation to the swinging pendulum or car 4. When the lever sections are simultaneously grasped and together moved forwardly or rearwardly the actuating bar sectiops 27 and 27' will be nioved forwardly} or rearwardly therewith, and'in a like direction to each other, but when the lever section 28 is movedforwardlv or rearwardly independently of the lever section 28 motion in theoppositedirection will be imparted to he lever sec tion 28 through the gears 31 33 and 32, as will be readily understood, causing the actuating bar sections 27 and 27' to simulloo taneously move in opposite directions,

through which variable motions of; .the lever sections 28 and 28 different adjusting movements may be transmitted to the front and rear sets of. propellers 7 and"8 for the i purposes hereinafter described.

Fixed to the shaft 3 is a curved rack segment 36 adapted to be engaged by a spring actuated locking dog or pawl 37 on the lever section 28, whereby saidlever section 28 may be fixed with relation tothe swinging. pendulum or platform, the gearing between the two lever sections also serving to hold the lever section 28- looked under such conditions. Upon. retracting this dog the pawl 37 has sufficient vertical play bet wegp assumed, for purpose of illustration, that in flight the. gliding structuretravels a substantially horizontal posit] on, the car or pendulum being maintained in a perpendicular position by the force of gravity, and the propellers arranged torevol *e in avertical plane, the necessary angle of incidence being presented by the supporting surfaces 1*. it will thus be understood that when the craft is flying horizontally at its normal attitude, the front propellers 7 will act as fhg ctors operating to pull or draw the craft hhead, while the rear propellers 8 will produce thrust pressures for driving or pushing action. If, in the course of travel, the machine shoiild tilt downwardly and forwardly beyond a balanced position, it will be evident that the car or pendulum 4 will have relative forward motion and will transmit corresponding motion to the sections 27 and 27 of the actuating bar as a unit. Asa result of this operation, the horizontal arms of the hell crank levers 2-6 and 26' will be respectively tilted upwardly and downwardly, and motion will be transmitted therefrom through the sets of gearing to the gears 11 of the sleeves of the respective sets propellers 7 and 8, whereby the front propellers,

will be swung upwardly to a certain degree .and the rear propellers 8 swung downwardly to a like degree, the front propellers thereby operating to exert a combined elevating and pulling action, While the rear propellers will exert a combined depressing: and pushing action. thus resisting any further forward tilting tendency of the gliding structure returning the same to a normally balanced position, restoring the normally relative relationship between the car or pendulum. ll the machine should tilt in a downward and rearward direction, the car or pendulum will a relative rearward swinging nirtion and will thereby move the sections 27 and 27" of the actuating bar rearuardly as a unit, thus adjustingthe bell crank levers EZfi-and 26" in the opposite directions to those previously described and transmitting motion through the sets of gearing between said be l crank levers and the ll of the-frontand rear propellers 7 and 8, to shift the front propellers downwardly to a certain angle and the rear propellers downwardly to a like angle, whereby the front propellers will be caus d to exert a pulling and depressing and the rear ropellers to exert a driving elevating stiffen the gliding structure and edectfloy which the rearward tilting motion of the gliding structure will be overcome and said structure returned to a balanced position, the normal relationship between the gliding structure and car or pendulumbeing thereby restored. When, in the travel of the machine, the gliding structure titlts down laterally at the right hand side, the car or pendulum l will move in that direction and in so doing will turn the shaft 2.to left, as a result of which motion will be transmitted through the links 2s and 2a to adjust the propellers of the front and rear sets to like degrees in opposite directions, the right hand front and rear propellers 7 and 8 being respectively tilted upwardly and downwardly to exert a propelling and lifting effect, while the left hand front and rear propellers will be respectively tilted downwardly and upwardly'to exert a propelling and depressing effect, by which the machine will be restored to a balanced position. on the other hand, the machine should tilt downward laterally to the left, the car or pendulum will be moved in that direction and as a result the shaft 2 will be rocked in the opposite direction to that previously described, causing the sets of links 24 and 24 to tilt the left hand front and rear propellers upwardly and downwardly for a propelling and lifting effect, and to tilt the front and rear right hand propellers downwardly and upwardly for a propelling and depi ing efiect, whereby the balance of the mac one will be restored. it will thus be understood that in the travel of the machine any deflection of the body or" the machine from a balanced position in either a foreand-aft or a lateral direction will be counteracted by the action or" the propellers, which, will be automatically adjusted to maintain the balance of the craft and insure avreliable and eilicient degree of steadiness of travel and stability, While the propellers continue to maintain a driving action to support the machine in flight' lhis result, it will be apparent, is gained by the employment of a simple type of mechanism which adapts the propellers to perform the functions described, whereby the use of balancing de- 11 5 propellers will be automatically adjusted to 120 bank the machine to the required degree and to prevent any list beyond the necessary degree tor a proper banking action. If desired, the usual vertical and horizontal rudders may be employed and means provided 1 for locking the'car or pendulum to the gliding structure againstrelative motion, so

that in the event of accidental derangement of the parts the propelling and balancing mechanism, which is not liable to occur, the 130 sec ti amt he front propeller 7 will be tilted quently have a total range of adjustment through an arc of 180. It will be evident.

that the aviator may at any time release the dog 37 to permit the adjustment of the divided lever. When both lever sections 28 and 28 are moved forwardly, and the actuating bar sections 27 and 27 are moved thereby forwardly as a unit, it will be evident that both the front and rear propellers will be tilted upwardly to degrees according to the extent of forward motion of the lever.

' The front propellers will thus be adjusted sition, and the rear propellers 8 downwardly to a substantially horizontal posrt'iongi-ing; which operation the propellers will give to exert a' lifting action and the rear propellers a depressing action, so that the gliding structure'may.he hgld and sustained in a climbing attitude while the carorpendulum maintains a normal position, so. that the craft may ascendat an angle, while it is beinggpropelled forwardly. By adjusting the two sectionsof the lever rearwardly the. actuating bar sections 27 and 27? will be I moved lrearwardly as a unit, thereby tilting both the front and rear propellers downwardly, so -that the front set of propellers will exert a depressing action and the rear set of propellers a lifting action, whereby the gliding structure will be disposed at a descending angle for. gliding descent and .maintained in such position against the ac tion of the weighted car or pendulum. The adjustments above described may be varied by moving the lever section 28 forwardly or rearwardly, in which auctions of the said leversection 28 the other lever section 28 will be caused through the intervening gearing to move in a reverse direction to the lever section 28. In such adjustments of the lever sections it will also be evident thatthe actuatingbar sections'27 and 27' will be moved in opposite directions-relatively to each other. section 28 is moved forwardly to its "full extent, the front pgopellers-TrniIL-Be;.tilted upwardly to a substantially horizontal podirect upward lifting'thrust, whereby the machine may be launched directly 'from the ground or caused t'o-ascend in astra ight path. With the propellers in suchpositions,

. the machine may also be caused to hover over any certain point while it is supported in the air or caused to descend 'at any def sired speed, the rate of speed being governed by regulating the speed of the propellers! "'O'r'i' the other hand, when the lever is moved rearwardly to its full the lever laterally the shaft 2 may be rocked When, for instance, the lever "body structure, a shaft extending longiturearof the b0 y structure-and on opposite sides of the longitudinal center thereof, said downwardly and the rear propellers 8 upwardly, so that both sets of propellers will exert a depressing action, allowing a rapid descent to be made to avoid collisions,etc. By varying the degrees of forward .or rearward movement of the'lever section 28"it will be obvious that the propellers maybe manually adjusted and controlled for longitudinal balancing actions. Also by moving 1n either direction to manually eifect adjustments of the propellers in-the manner previously described for lateral balancing control.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that my invention provides a propelling mechanism which is not only of maximum efiiciency for propelling purposes, but which also serves as a balancing mechanism, which may be automatically or manually controlled, and which when automatically controlled will give a sensitivenessof action to maintain steadiness of motion of the craft in flight. 'By providing means for manually adjustingthe propellers provision on is made for rendering the automatic adjusting means inoperative whenever desired, so as to give the aviator complete control over the machine. The principle employed may be used in air craft of either the heavieror lighter than air type, orany craft which combine the principles of the; aeroplane and aerostat, the invention not being limitedin these particulars. ,1

I claim 1. In a combined propelling and stabilizing mechanism foraircraft, the combination of a body structure, propellers at the-front and rear of the body structure, said propellers bein arranged on opposite sides of the longitu inal center 'of the body structure and mounted to tilt in a vertical plane, 4 a longitudinally and laterally movable gravity controlled element, and adjusting means controlled by said element in its longitudinal movements to adjust the propellers of one set in one direction and the=propellers of the other set in the opposite direction, said ad justing means being controlled by thelateral movements of said gravity controlled "'2. In an aircraft, the 'liondbination of a dinally of and mounted to rock in adirec tion transversely of the body structure, a car mounted upon said-shaft for longitu dinal swinging movements, sets of transversely alined ropellers at the front and propellers being mounted to tilt vertically,.

sets of adjusting devices for independently controlling the respective propellers, means operated by the lateral movements of the'130 l aisaaeo shaft for controlling the adjusting connections to tilt the propellers of each set in opposite directions and the propellers on each side of the longitudinal center of the machine inlilse directions, and means con 1 --trollecl the longitudinal swinging movements of the 'car for controlling the ad3usting connections to tilt the nronellers of each set in the same direction and thepropellers of the two sets in opposite directions.

3. In an aircraft, the combination of a body structure, a shaft extending longitudinally of and mounted to roclrin a direction transversely of the body structure, a gravity controlled car pivoted to swing laterally upon the shaft, propellers located at the front and rear of the body structure and on opposite sides of the longitudinal center thereof, said propellers being mounted to tilt vertically, a set of adjusting connections for each propeller, meansvvh'ereby under the rock movements of the shaft the sets of connections will be actuated to tilt the propellcrs or each set in opposite directions and the propellers of the sets at opposite sides of the body in like directions, and a long'studi'nally movable member operable by the car for operating the sets of adjusting connections to tilt the propellers of each set in the same direction andtotllhO'lifB set of pro- '-pellers in one direction and the other set of longitudinally from said shaft. sets of nropellers at the front and rear of the. machine on opposite sides of the longitudinal center.

thereof, said propellers being mounted to tilt vertically, a set of ad ustable connections for each propeller, connecting means between theshaft and the adjusting connections at each end of the body for adjusting the propellers at each end simultaneously in opposite directions and adjusting the propellers at opposite ends and at the same side of the body in the same direction, and a longitudinally movable member operable by the car for controlling the said connecting means for imparting motion to the adjusting means to adjust the propellers of each set simultaneously in the same direction and to adjust the propellers of the different sets in opposite directions.

5. In an aircraft, the combination oi a body structure, a shaft extending longitudh nally of and mounted to rock in a direction transversely of the body structure, a gravity controlled car supported to swing longitudinally from the sha t, sets of propellers at the frontand rear of the body structure and on opposite sides of the longitudinal center thereof, set or" adjusting connections for longitudinal movements of the car to ad-" just the nropellers of each set in the same directions and the propellers of the two sets in opposite directions, and a connecting meanshetween the car and said longitudinally movable member and adjustable to set said lon itudinally movable member at different predetermined positions.

6. In an aircraft, the combination of a body structure, a longitudinally movable shaft, mounted to rock in a direction transverselv of the body structure, a gravity controlled car supported from the shaft to swing laterally therewith and longitudinally independent y thereof, front and rear sets of propellers mounted to tilt vertically, the propellers of each set being arranged on opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the machine of the body, a set of adjusting connections for each propeller, verti ally adjustable members connecting the sets of ad- 'justing devices at each end of the bodv with the respective ends of the shaft, said con- I necting devices being adapted to impart dissimilar ad ustments to the propellers of each set on the rocking movements of the shaft, a

coupling connection between said connect: mg devices movable under the longitudinalmovements of the car to adjust said connecting devices to transfer motion to each set of adjusting devices to adiust the propellers of each set in the same direction and to adjust the propellers. of the two sets iaopposite directions.

7 In an aircraft, the combination of a body structure, a shaft extending longitudinally of and adapted to reel; in a direction transversely of the body structure, a gravity controlled car supported toswing laterally with the shaft and longitudinally independcntly of the shaft, right and left hand propellers at the front and rear of the machine, adiustin; connections for each propeller for tilting the some in a vertical plane, coupling in ftlIlS connecting each set or" adjusting connections witl the adiacent end of the shaft, whereby to impart dissimilar movements to the propellers of each set in the rocking mo divided sections, a

of the body in reverse directions, and a coupling connection between the car and longitudinally movable member, said coupling connection being pivotally supportedby the longitudinal shaft and having an adjustable engagement with the swinging car.

body structure, a shaft extending longitudinally of and mounted to rock in a direction transversely o the body structure, a gravity controlled ear supported to. swing laterally with the shaft and longitudinally independently thereof, front and rear right and left hand "ertically, propeller, front and the opposite ends of the shaft, said connecting means being vertically movable and mounted to rock laterally with the Shaft, a longitudinally movable element coupling In an aircraft, the combination of a i a set of adjusting devices for each connecting means between the the connecting means at the opposite ends of the shaft for movement in unison, and a pivotally adjustable connection between the said longitudinally movable member and the swinging car.

In an aircraft, the combination of a body structure, a shaft extending longitudinally thereof and mounted to rock in a direction transversely thereto, a gravity controlled car 'pivotally supported to swing laterally with the shaft and longitudinally independently thereof, right and left hand propellers at the front and rear cally movable sets of adjusting connections for each propeller, levers at the ends of the shaft provided with cross pieces coupling the adjacent sets of adjusting devices, a longitudinally movable member connecting the said levers for imparting vertical motion thereto, said member being composed of propellers mounted to tilt' rear sets of adjusting devices at,

of the machine, verti-- lever composed of divided sections connected with the sections of the longitudinally movable member, said lever sections being in gear .with each other and pivotally supported by the shaft, and

an adjustable locking connection between the car and one of said lever sections. I

10. In an aircraft, the combination of a body structure, nally of and mounted to, rock in a direction transversely of the body structure, a. gravity controlled 'car a shaft extendinglongitudi-j pivotally supported for lateral motion with the shaft and for longitudinal motion independently and left hand propellers at rear of the machine,

for reverse movements in unison and re- I speetively connected with the sections of the bar, a locking lever sections, ated yvith the justable locking engagement with said locking device.

In testimony whereof I afiix in presence of two witnesses.

ULYSSES G. WHITE. Witnesses C. O. 'HINES, I BENNETT S. Jones.

device carried by one of said and a locking element associmy signature swinging car adapted for ad-' ing shaft, said leversections being in gear 

